(a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing Technical Theatre, Level I.
(b) Introduction.
  (1) The fine arts incorporate the study of dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts to offer unique experiences and empower students to explore realities, relationships, and ideas. These disciplines engage and motivate all students through active learning, critical thinking, and innovative problem solving. The fine arts develop cognitive functioning and increase student academic achievement, higher-order thinking, communication, and collaboration skills, making the fine arts applicable to college readiness, career opportunities, workplace environments, social skills, and everyday life. Students develop aesthetic and cultural awareness through exploration, leading to creative expression. Creativity, encouraged through the study of the fine arts, is essential to nurture and develop the whole child.
  (2) Four basic strands--foundations: inquiry and understanding; creative expression; historical and cultural relevance; and critical evaluation and response--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Through the foundations: inquiry and understanding strand, students develop a perception of self, human relationships, and the world using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. Through the creative expression strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner. Through the historical and cultural relevance strand, students increase their understanding of heritage and traditions in theatre and the diversity of world cultures as expressed in theatre. Through the critical evaluation and response strand, students engage in inquiry and dialogue, accept constructive criticism, revise personal views to promote creative and critical thinking, and develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate live theatre.
  (3) Through a variety of experiences with diverse forms of storytelling and production, Technical Theatre I will afford students the opportunity to develop and exercise creativity, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaborative skills. Participation and evaluation in a variety of theatrical experiences will afford students opportunities to develop an understanding of self and their role in the world.
  (4) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) Foundations: inquiry and understanding. The student develops concepts about self, human relationships, and the environment using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. The student is expected to:
    (A) define standard vocabulary in costumes, lights, makeup, theatre management, properties, scenery, and sound;
    (B) recognize the technical elements of theatre such as types of stages, stage areas, fly systems, curtains, front of house, dressing rooms, and storage;
    (C) recognize theatre systems such as the production calendar, tech rehearsals, and production staff roles;
    (D) recognize safe theatre practices such as personal safety, fire safety, tool safety, shop safety, and handling emergencies in the theatre; and
    (E) read scripts and apply basic script analysis techniques to technical theatre elements.
  (2) Creative expression: performance. The student develops and demonstrates technical theatre skills through the pre-production processes from concept (script or original idea) to performance. The student is expected to:
    (A) recognize the function of technical elements in various theatrical styles and genres;
    (B) recognize the design process of analysis, research, incubation/selection, implementation, and evaluation to a theatrical product such as a rendering, model, and sketch;
    (C) identify the production team such as designers, director, crew members, playwright, and stage manager and their duties;
    (D) articulate the importance of collaboration and leadership skills;
    (E) define creativity as it relates to personal expression in technical theatre and design;
    (F) recognize communication methods between directors and designers such as prompt book, costume plot, light plot, makeup, theatre management, property list, design renderings, and models; and
    (G) apply the basic skills of measurement in construction.
  (3) Creative expression: production. The student applies design, directing, and theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify the safe use of tools and materials in scenery and property construction;
    (B) identify the safe use of lighting equipment such as instruments, dimmers, and controllers;
    (C) identify the safe use of the basic techniques of costume construction and make-up application;
    (D) identify the safe use of sound equipment; and
    (E) recognize the roles of theatre management such as house management and stage management.
  (4) Historical and cultural relevance. The student relates theatre to history, society, and culture. The student is expected to:
    (A) conduct research to establish historical and cultural accuracy in theatrical design;
    (B) identify the impact of live theatre, film, television, and electronic media on contemporary society;
    (C) understand the cultural heritage of world drama and theatre and identify key figures, works, and trends in dramatic literature; and
    (D) identify and understand the innovations and contributions of the United States to the performing arts such as theatre, melodrama, musical theatre, radio, film, television, technology, or electronic media.
  (5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and evaluates theatre and theatrical performances. The student is expected to:
    (A) understand the use of resumes and portfolios in technical theatre;
    (B) recognize appropriate behavior at various types of live performances;
    (C) recognize the design and technical elements of theatre as an art form and evaluate self as a creative being;
    (D) evaluate live theatre in written and oral form with precise and specific observations of technical elements using appropriate vocabulary;
    (E) evaluate film, television, or other media in written or oral form with precise and specific observations of technical elements using appropriate vocabulary;
    (F) connect theatre skills and experiences to higher education and careers; and
    (G) use technology to communicate and present findings in a clear and coherent manner.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.323 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575